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If we look back to the years gone by, we find that we have changed somewhat. Now change in what sense? Perspective, habits, goals, etc. That is not to say we change completely, some things cannot change no matter how much oneself tries or others help to try 😛 😛

One change which has occurred or rather which I have incorporated in myself over the past three years is the ability to eat alone anywhere, anyplace. There is a three-step process to achieve this, read on if you are interested 😉

Step 1. To eat alone, with company ( aka strangers)

When I joined my current workplace three years ago, I was the only lady in the organisation. I had lunch with the guys for the first three days but found their conversations guarded because of my presence. So on the fourth day I asked them if we had a food court nearby. It turned out the building had a pretty huge one. It so happened that some places allowed you to eat your food from your lunch box while others had a strict ‘No lunchbox’ policy. I found a table for myself in a place where I made it triple sure lunch boxes were not banned. Now that table seated 4, just as I opened my box I had one girl asking if I was expecting someone and if she could sit there. No pleasantries exchanged, we had our meals and left the table. That became a routine, me either joining strangers during lunch times or having them joined me. This was still very new for me, to eat all by myself in the company of strangers.

Step 2.To eat alone, without company ( aka you, and only you)

It so happened once that during tea break at office, I was wandering in the food court and on call with Zack. I felt too hungry to walk back to office and I had a CCD kiosk right in front of me. I wanted something savory and ordered a samosa. I sat on a table and found myself all alone. People were walking all along the corridor and I was sitting all by myself waiting for my samosa. When it came finally, I felt too conscious to eat it. I called the husband.

“Busy?”
“No, tell me”
“I have to eat a samosa all by myself”
“Eat fast, otherwise it will get cold”
“Arrey I told I have to eat it alone”
“So?”
“I am not used to eat alone like this”
[Insert snigger and a chuckle]
“You talk to me and eat, will give you company”

Slowly and gradually, I stopped being conscious of eating alone. I stopped calling the husband too. How to concentrate on food if I have to hold a conversation on phone 😛
After office hours and before boarding the bus, I used to find a nice place for myself and finish my sandwich or the fresh fruit juice I ordered.

Step 3.To eat alone, in public ( aka the world is my family)

The next progression in my eating habits came when I became pregnant. I could not afford to wait till I got home or for breaks at work to start eating. And so I started eating fruits and muffins and dry fruits at all places previously frowned upon by me – at my office desk, at bus stops, in buses, during walking back from bus stop to home, during evening walks on weekends, basically anywhere + anyplace + anytime. I would get down from my bus, cross the road and immediately open the muffin packet on a busy stretch of road having the evening passers-by and vehicles. I would get amused seeing the ‘cant she even wait till she reaches home’ glances.

One thing that was glaringly questionable to his family was my food habits. My family is vegetarian. They are non-vegetarians. In our community, vegetarians would be hard pressed to find. Here goes the conversation Zack and I had during one of our chats.

“I am a pure vegetarian.”

“Yeah, so? I am also a ‘pure’ non-vegetarian.”

“No eggs too”

“I see”

“I wont cook either”

“No need, I myself am quite a good cook. In fact, you should check with my friends about my culinary skills”

“You sure there wont be any issues after marriage?”

“See, refraining from eating non-vegetarian food is your wish. I wont ask you to eat just because all of us here eat”

“Very happy to hear that”

“Now I have a question for you”

“Be my guest”

“Do you mind if someone else eats non-veg when you are eating? Your guest adores non-veg”

“Hahaha, so my guest loves non-veg…no issues with everyone else eating non-veg in the same table as me”

“Seriously? I have met vegetarians who make faces and do what-not if they have to share a table”

“Oh is it..I am not one of them then”

“Cool”

After marriage, I found it very easy to adjust. On Sundays when eating meat is the norm, I would cook something for myself.

But one thing which I find I absurd till date is shunning non-veg on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Zack says on Thursdays the family does not eat because they are followers of Sai Baba and Lord Venkateshwara will be unhappy if they eat meat on Saturdays.

The first time I heard this I was like “Whhhhaaatttt ”

Lord Venkateshwara will be happy and bless you if you eat on Sunday or Monday but will take offense on Saturdays? And what, Sai Baba will curse you if you eat eggs on Thursday?

No matter how hard I try to make him see the logic, he refuses to skip the no-meat-on-thursday-and-saturday rule.